With National Signing Day having come and gone, the 2018 recruiting class has come to a close. Big Ten recruiting in particular put out a solid performance with 11 of the conference’s 14 teams making an appearance in the 247 Top 50. Here is how the Big Ten broke down in the final rankings.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
With a score of 317.06, Ohio State finished 2018 with the best recruiting class in program history. The Buckeyes filled a number of needs, especially at offensive tackle. Furthermore, Meyer’s squad ended up ranked second nationally, just behind the Georgia Bulldogs. Hyperbolically speaking, Georgia signed every football player on planet Earth. Props to Kirby Smart.
2. Penn State Nittany Lions
Right behind the scarlet and gray are the blue and white from Happy Valley. The Nittany Lions signed an excellent class good enough for the Big Ten’s second top 5 national ranking. Star defensive end Micah Parsons is one of three five-stars that signed with Penn State.
3. Michigan Wolverines
By no means did Michigan sign an underwhelming class in 2018. However, in terms of national comparison, the Wolverines did not do as well as the first two years under Jim Harbaugh. In 2016 and 2017, Michigan ranked 8th and 5th nationally. In this cycle, the Wolverines finished 21st. Another interesting fact is that the class point spread between No. 2 Penn State and No. 3 Michigan is larger than No. 3 Michigan and No. 14 Northwestern. However, the biggest thing for Michigan in 2018 was their quarterback recruiting which was a necessary slam dunk.
4. Nebraska Cornhuskers
As referenced in our National Signing Day preview, Nebraska had the opportunity to land a number of solid athletes on Feb. 7. The Cornhuskers did just that and put together a solid recruiting class. Nebraska finished directly behind Michigan in the national rankings
5. Maryland Terrapins
The Turtles were able to collect four four-stars in this 2018 class which paves the way for a bright future in College Park. Maryland ended with the 28th ranked class in the 247 rankings.
6. Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State put together a top 50 recruiting class, but missed out on top wide receiver target Tommy Bush (Georgia).
7. Minnesota Golden Gophers
For competition’s sake, this Minnesota recruiting class joins Nebraska and Iowa in putting some pressure on Wisconsin in the West. Minnesota was able to sign three four-stars en route to a 37th ranked class.
8. Iowa Hawkeyes
While not signing a single four or five-star, the Hawkeyes still put together a group of solid class football players for a top 50 class. Much like Wisconsin, Iowa’s MO is to recruit and develop local, homegrown players.
9. Wisconsin Badgers
The Badgers were able to snag four-star Jack Sanborn for its 2018 recruiting class. Wisconsin continued their tradition of pulling solely from the Midwest and Florida: a recipe for success over the last decade.
10. Indiana Hoosiers
The Hoosiers pulled a similar class to Iowa and finished with the 48th ranked class nationally.
11. Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue was able to secure the 50th and final spot in the 247 top 50 with 188.31 points on its class. The Boilermakers will be bringing in four-star wide receiver Rondale Moore from Louisville, KY.
12. Illinois Fighting Illini
With two four-stars added to its 2018 class, things are looking somewhat better for the Fighting Illini. Illinois signed 25 recruits in total in 2018.
13. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Rutgers comes in at 57th in the 247 rankings with a class score of 181.39.
14. Northwestern Wildcats
Finishing out the Big Ten recruiting rankings for 2018 are the Northwestern Wildcats. Pat Fitzgerald’s squad has finished in the bottom five in Big Ten recruiting for five straight years.
What to expect from the 2019 class
Michigan and Wisconsin are already off to hot starts in the 2019 recruiting cycle. The Badgers have secured four four-star verbals, and the Wolverines have promises from five-star Chris Hinton and two four-stars. However, there is a long road ahead of us. Expect for things to change in a big way as summer approaches in America’s heartland.
For quality up-to-date sports reporting, visit our website, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.
